Fluid operated zipper



June 30, 1970 K. M. LE BI-:AU 3,517,423

FLUID OPERATED ZIPPER Filed sept. 19. 195s nifl/[III/Il 1 f /NI/E/I/o/z. FIG. 3 Y KATHERINE MARIE I EBEAU 5)/ mgl/@MT w TTORN YS United States Patent O 3,517,423 FLUID OPERATED ZIPPER Katherine Marie LeBeau, 2217 Neilson Way, Santa Monica, Calif. 90405 Filed Sept. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 760,782 Int. Cl. A44b 19/20 U.S. Cl. 24-207 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A fluid operated zipper incorporates a pair of adjacent guide channels and a flexible fluid container in communication with an inflatable, elongated conduit. Rows of bulbs arranged on opposing sides of the conduit extend into corresponding guide tracks. Evacuation of the fluid such as air from the container fills the conduit with fluid forcing7 it to an extended position. The bulbs are simultaneously inflated and slid along the guide tracks to thereby pull them and frabric margins attached to the guide tracks together.

The present invention relates to interlocking structure for pulling separable fabric margins together and more specifically to a fluid operated zipper having interlocking half sections, parts of which disappear into a stored area when the margins are spread apart.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional zippers customarily incorporate mating metal teeth on adjacent zipper half sections that can be forcibly interlocked by a pull tab. When the zipper half sections are spread apart, the teeth remain exposed and are frequently sharp enough so that a person can inadvertently cut her hands.

Unlike these conventional zippers, the present invention relates to a fluid operated zipper incorporating interlocking half sections, portions of which are withdrawn from the fabric margins when the fabric margins are spread apart.

BRIEF SWUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly described, the present invention comprehends a fluid operated Zipper for selectively pulling together adjacent fabric margins the are secured to a pair of adjacent guide tracks. A flexible fluid container positioned near one end of the guide tracks is placed in fluid communication with an inflatable, elongated conduit that is movable between a retracted position near the container and an extended position between the tracks. A pair of rows of inflatable bulbs are arranged on opposing sides of the conduit so that when fluid is evacuated from the container to the conduit, the bulbs are forced to slide along corresponding guide tracks. The sliding action of the bulbs as the conduit is inflated to fully extended position pulls the tracks and therefore the fabric margins together.

The guide tracks include compartments that enclose positioning beads attached to the bulbs. The positioning beads maintain the bulbs in proper alignment as they are being slid so that the bulbs are prevented from frictionally engaging adjacent walls of the guide tracks.

Preferably the fluid container is retained in a pocket which coacts with a manually operated collapsing means to flatten the container and thereby discharge fluid into the conduit for distribution to the bulbs.

Patented June 30, 1970 lCC The benefits and unique aspects of the present invention will be fully understood when the following detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view showing portions of the fluid operated zipper and pair of fabric margins superimposed over the zipper;

FIG. 2 is a detailed cross section View taken through a pair of oppositely arranged inflatable bulbs, showing how the guide tracks and fabric margins are pulled together when the elongated conduit is fully inflated and extended; i..

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the fluid container retained in a pocket; and,

FIG. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing how the fluid container and pocket walls are flattened when fluid has been evacuated to effect interlocking by the zipper components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, a fluid operated zipper 10 is shown incorporating a balloon or fluid container 11 fabricated from suitable soft, durable plastic material. Fluid container 11 is arranged in fluid communication with an elongated inflatable conduit 12 which, as shall be fully explained, is movable between a retracted position near container 11 and an extended position as shown in FIG. l. Oriented on opposing sides of inflatable conduit 12 are rows of inflatable bulbs 13 and 14. The bulbs in each row are preferably equally spaced from one another. Bulbs 13 and 14 are interconnected in fluid communication with conduit 12 by hollow necks .1S and 16 respectively. Hollow necks 15 and 16 serve as flow lines through which fluid from container 11 may be distributed into the bulbs. Rows of positioning beads 17 and 18 are connected to inflatable bulbs 13 and 14 respectively.

Associated with each row of bulbs is a guide track, only one track 19 of which is shown in FIG. 1. The tracks, preferably constructed from plastic material, are adhered or otherwise attached to fabric margins 21 and 22. For the sake of clarity, margins 21 and 22 are only shown as being superimposed over portions of fluid operated Zipper 10 in FIG. l. The fabric margins may be associated with garments, curtains, draperies or any other item having margins that can be selectively drawn together by zipper or other interlocking device sections.

Referring now to FIG. 2, fabric margins 21 and 22 are shown secured to symmetrical wall portions of guide track 19 and the other guide track 23. Guide tracks 19 and 23 are formed with compartments 20 and 24 respectively sized to house or enclose positioning beads 17 and 18. Slide grooves 25 and 26 are formed on the inner faces of guide tracks 19 and 23 for receiving, in sliding engagement, hollow necks 15 and 16. Compartments 20 and 24 define channels 27 and 28 through which connector strips 29 and 30 project for interlinking inflatable bulbs 13 and 14 with the positioning beads 17 and 18. The internal surfaces of guide tracks .19 and 23 are coated with suitable non-skid material to minimize friction between these surfaces and the bulbs and beads. The positioning beads serve to keep the bulbs in alignment as they are being slid through channels 27 and 28. By holding the bulbs in the central regions of the guide 3 tracks, the positioning beads prevent frictional drag that adjacent guide track walls could otherwise exert on the bulbs.

As shall be fully explained when the iluid container- 11 is deilated or evacuated, the working iluid therein, such as air, causes conduit 12 to expand and simultaneously distribute air into bulbs 13 and 14. Since the disstance between oppositely arranged bulbs is fixed by the lengths of the hollow necks and diameter of the inflatable conduit, the bulbs pull or draw the guide tracks together as the bulbs are slid longitudinally forwardly.

FIG. 3 illustrates a pocket 31 for retaining container 11. Pocket 31 has a slot 32 defining a pair of parallel edges 33 and 34. A collapsing means for collapsing container 11 has a pressure plate 35 positioned in pocket 31 and a manually operated lever 36.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the interrelationship of the various components is shown when the lluid in container 11 is substantially fully evacuated. Lever 36 has a shaft 37 and disc 38 which enable lever 36 to be rotated. Shaft 37 incorporates height or position adjusting notches 39 and 40 for receiving the parallel edges 33 and 34. When edges 33 and 34 are held in notches 39, container 11 will be fully inllated with air and when edges 33 and 34 are held in notches 40, air will be substantially fully evacuated from container 11 as shown in FIG. 4. When the operator manipulates lever 36 to move slot edges 33 and 34 from notches 39 to 40, the outside and inside wall portions 41 and 42 of pocket 31 as well as the outside and inside wall portions 43 and 44 of container 11 will become compressed and llattened toward one another.

OPERATION Keeping the above construction in mind it can be understood how many of the disadvantages of conventional zippers and similar interlocking devices are overcome or substantially eliminated by the present invention.

When the fluid operated zipper is not in operation, the zipper half sections or guide tracks 19 and 23 will be spread apart from one another and the bulbs and inllatable conduit will be stored, out of sight, in a retracted position adjacent container 11.

In order to use and enjoy the present invention, the operator merely rotates and otherwise manually manipulates lever 36 to move the slot or pocket edges 33 and 34 from notches 39 to notches 40. During this transition, air will be evacuated from container 11 and llow through inilatable conduit 12. As inllatable conduit 12 grows or enlarges from its retracted position to its fully extended position, air will be distributed into oppositely arranged bulbs 13 and 14. As conduit 12 moves toward its extended position, the bulbs will be slid through the guide tracks pulling them towards one another. When the conduit 12 reaches its fully extended position where it is preferably substantially coextensive with the guide tracks, margins 21 and 22 will be pulled together into a neat visually pleasing seam.

In order to release the interconnecting forces so that the seam may be opened and the margins spread apart again, the operator merely manipulates lever 36 in a reverse procedure. By moving edges 33 and 34 from notches 40 to notches 39, air will be discharged from the bulbs and conduit backwardly into container 11.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the present invention has provided a fluid operated zipper in which all of the various advantages are fully realized.

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid operated zipper for selectively pulling together adjacent fabric margins, comprising:

(a) a pair of adjacent guide tracks attachable to the fabric margins;

(b) a flexible lluid container positioned near one end of the guide tracks;

(c) an inilatable, elongated conduit in fluid communication with the container, the conduit being movable 4 between a retracted position near the container and an extended position between the tracks; and,

(d) a pair of rows of inflatable elements arranged in fluid communication on opposing sides of the conduit, each row being partially enclosed by a corresponding guide track,

wherein, when the conduit is in its retracted position and fluid is evacuated from the container, the lluid simultaneously extends the conduit and inllates the elements forcing the elements to slide along the tracks and pull the tracks together.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is sized so that when fully extended it will be substantially coextensive with the guide tracks.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the inilatable elements of each series are bulbs which become substantially equally spaced from one another along the conduit when the conduit is fully extended.

4. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the bulbs are interconnected with the conduit by hollow necks of sullicient length to enable positioning the bulbs in their corresponding tracks.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein;

each guide track includes a compartment formed with a longitudinally extending channel, and,

positioning beads are interlinked to the inflatable elements of each row by connector `strips extending through corresponding channels, the positioning beads being sized to maintain the inllatable elements in desired alignment as the conduit is moved between its retracted and extended positions.

6. The structure according to claim 1, including:

a pocket retaining the flexible fluid container, and

manually operated collapsing -means that coactS with the pocket to compress and thereby evacuate fluid from the container.

7. rl`he `structure according to claim 6, wherein;

the pocket has a wall with a slot, and,

the collapsing means includes a movable pressure plate positioned between the slotted pocket wall and container, and, a lever coupled with the pressure plate, the lever projecting through the slot and being arranged to urge the pressure plate between a rst position where the container is lilled with iluid and a second position where the container is evacuated of uid.

8. A fluid operated zipper for lselectively pulling together adjacent fabric margins, comprising:

(a) a pair of adjacent guide tracks attachable to the fabric margins, each guide track including a compartment formed with a longitudinally extending channel;

`(b) a flexible fluid container positioned near one end of the guide tracks;

(c) an inflatable, elongated conduit in fluid communication with the container, the conduit being mova- 4ble between a retracted position near the container and an extended position between the track in which latter position the conduit is substantially coextensive with the guide tracks;

(d) a pair of rows of inflatable bulbs arranged in lluid communication on opposing sides of the conduit, the bulbs of each row being enclosed by a corresponding guide track and substantially equally spaced from one another along the conduit when the conduit is fully extended;

(e) hollow necks for distributing fluid from the elongated conduit to the bulbs, the necks being of Sullicient length to enable positioning of the bulbs in their corresponding tracks; and

(f) positioning beads interlinked with the inflatable bulbs by connector strips extending through corre- Ispending channels, the positioning beads being sized to maintain the Ibulbs in desired alignment as the con- -duit is moved between its retracted and extended positions,

5 -Wherein when the conduit is in its rertacted position and fluid is evacuated from the container, the fluid simultaneously extends the conduit and inates the bulbs forcing the bulbs to slide along the tracks and pull the tracks together. 9. The structure according to claim 8, including: a pocket retaining the flexible fluid container, and manually operated collapsing means that coacts with the pocket to comperss and thereby evacuate fluid from the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 8/ 1941 Denmark. 11/ 1924 `Great Britain.

10 BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner 

